Piano with auxiliary harmonic sounding-board.



PATENTED JU'NE310, 1903.

F. W. KRIN GEL.

PIANO WITH AUXILIARY HARMONIG S OUNDING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1a, 1901. v

N0 MODEL. I Q

O xS-mmkw wk; yum, I r f UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

' PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. KRINGEL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters'Patent No.

732,304, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed February 18, 1901. Serial No. 47,871. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FRANK W. KRINGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Piano with Auxiliary Harmonic Sounding-Board, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to give a more powerful and sustaining tone. This I accomplish by means of strings provided with a f undamental sounding portion and a harmonic portion in combination with a harmonic sounding-board arranged above or beyond the plate-bridge, said sounding-board being provided with suitable means for holding the harmonic member of the stringin relative sounding interval with the fundamental sounding member-of the string. I preferably provide adjustable means connected with said sounding-board for holding the harmonic member of the string in relative sounding interval with said fundamental sounding member of the string. I also provide a plate which is fundamentally novel in that it is provided above or beyond the plate bridge with a sounding-recess.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure I is a fragmental front view of an upright piano embodying my invention. Fig. II is a fragmental end elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. III is a fragmental sectional elevation of my invention as applied in a grand piano looking toward the last string of the treble.

a indicates the plate of the piano furnished with a sounding-recess 4.

1) indicates the main sounding-board.

0 indicates the main or sounding-board bridge.

d indicates the wrest-plate bridge.

6 indicates the pin-block.

f indicates the strings.

9 indicates the auxiliary harmonic sounding-board arranged over the recess 4 adjacent to the wrest-plate bridge d.

l and 2 indicate, respectively, the main or fundamental portion or member and the harmonic portion of the strings, which are adapted to be stretched over the sounding-boards and by reason of their arrangement therewith to improve the quality and increase the power and tone of the instrument. I

h indicates means connected with the harmonic sounding-board for holding the harmonic member 2 of the string in relative sounding interval with the fundamental sounding member 1 of the string. Such means preferably consist of the auxiliary bridgebody 3,resting on the harmonic soundingboard g, which rests on the iron plate a above the sounding-recess 4 therein between the wrest-plate bridge d and the pin-block e.

5 indicates an agraife,.through which the string passes and which is screwed into the auxiliary bridge and sounding-board 3 and g.

6 indicates an upper string-rest, and 7 an adjustable lower string-rest, arranged respectively above and below the agraffe 5.

i indicates the tuning-pin; j, the hitch-pin 7c, the hammer.

'm indicates the ordinary deadening-strips,

of cloth, to prevent vibration of the stringsabove the harmonic members 2 and below the fundamental sounding members 1.

In practice the harmonic member 2 of the string can be accurately tuned relative to the fundamental member 1 by shifting the stringrest 7. The tone produced by this new piano is distinguished by its superior strength, quality, and resonance.

n indicates the frame-timbers, and 0 indicates the sounding-board-supporting strips, which are arranged in the ordinary manner on the frame-timbers n to support the ordinary sounding-board b.

1 The uppermost string-rest q rests upon the upper edge of the auxiliary sounding-board, which edge is supported by the wrest-plate a. The plate-bridge d in the form shown in Figs. I and II rests upon the lower edge of said auxiliary sounding-board, which edge is also supported by the plate a. The pressure of the strings on the stringrest q and the Wrest-plate bridge d keeps the auxiliary sounding-board in place on the frame and over the recess 4.

In the grand piano shown in Fig. III the wrest-plate bridge cl is upon the side of the strings opposite the soundingboards and the auxiliary recess and sounding-board are be yondor to the rear of the wrest-plate bridge instead of above it, as in the upright piano;

but in either construction the string-rest 7 can be so moved or adjusted relatively to the Wrest-plate bridge d that when the string is tuned the auxiliary portion Will be of such length that it Will vibrate in harmony with the fundamental portion, which vibration will be taken up and intensified by the auxiliary sounding-board, and thereby add materially to the volume and duration of the tone.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a piano, a main sounding-board and bridge, strings, each provided with a fundamental sounding member and a harmonic member, a harmonic sounding board arranged adjacent to the wrest-plate bridge; said sounding-board being provided With suitable means for holding the harmonic member of each stringin relative sounding interval with the fundamental sounding member.

2. A piano furnished With a main sounding-board and bridge, strings, each provided With a fundamental sounding member and a harmonic member, a harmonic soundingboard arranged adjacent to the wrest-plate bridge, and adjustable means connected with said sounding-board for holding the harmonic member of each string in relative soundinginterval with the fundamental sounding member.

In a furnished piano, the combination of a plate with a sounding-recess; a main sounding-board and bridge; the wrest-plate bridge; the pin-block; the strings each provided With a fundamental sounding member and a harmonic member; an auxiliary harmonic sounding-board arranged adjacent to the wrest-plate bridge; and means connected With said sounding-board for holding the harmonic member of each string in relative sounding interval With the" fundamental sounding member.

4:. A piano provided with a main soundingboard and a recess adjacent thereto, strings provided With a fundamental sounding portion and a harmonic portion, the fundamental portion of the strings extending over the main sounding-board and the harmonic portion extending over the recess.

5. A piano provided with a main soundingboard and a recess adjacent thereto, an aux iliary,sounding-board over the recess, strings provided With a fundamental sounding portion and a harmonic portion, means for supporting the fundamental portion of the strings over the main sounding-board, and means for supporting the harmonic portion over the auxiliary sounding-board.

(5. A musical instrument provided With a main and an auxiliary sounding -board, strings, each provided With a fundamental sounding portion, and With a harmonic portion, means for supporting the fundamental portions of the strings over the main sounding-board and means for supporting the harmonic portions over the auxiliary soundingboard.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this'specification, in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses, at Los Angeles, California, this 8th day of Februar 1901.

FRANK KRINGEL.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, JULIA TOWNSEND. 

